Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika #2)(6)

“No, you shouldn’t. You should come inside with me and let them sort it out.”

“I might be the only one that can calm him down,” I explained, but I followed her in.

“That is a very temporary solution to a much bigger problem. That man has got to learn not to lose his temper without you as a crutch.”

I knew she was right, but I still couldn’t stop worrying, and looking outside every few seconds, trying to gage if the situation was going to spiral out of control.

I was beyond relieved when Dean strode through the door, whistling. He even smiled when he saw me, as though the sight of me made him happy, when it never did.

“You,” he said, making it sound like an endearment. “I was just looking for you.”

There was no way that was a good thing. The bastard was looking for trouble more than me, I just knew it. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. “Why? And what did you say to Tristan to get him riled again?”

“Let’s not pretend he isn’t always riled, yeah?”

I hated that he had a point.

“But that out there, that was nothing. He was just having a jealous fit about Nat and me hooking up. You have nothing to worry about, though. I’m sure that doesn’t mean he still has feelings for her. Oh and look,” he pointed out the window.

I turned to follow his stare, my body tensed up; my head messed up by what he’d said. I couldn’t shake my suspicion that Tristan still had feelings for that bitch, and what he’d said just validated it.

Sure enough, Tristan was talking to Natalie, noticeably angry.

“I’m sure he’s telling her off for f**king me. But it doesn’t mean he still wants her. It’s totally normal to get pissed off about something that happened years ago with your ex-girlfriend, right?”

I hated that he spoke in my language, sarcasm, when everything he said pissed me off.

“Just go away, you little shit,” Frankie told him.

I was still staring outside at Tristan and Nat, watching how his face transformed as his scowl disappeared and a loud laugh escaped him that made my fists clench. She’d just said something that he thought was funny, and I hated it.

“Just remember. I’m always here if you want to make him jealous back.”

I ignored Dean completely until he went away, my eyes, every iota of my concentration on the couple speaking, and leaning close together outside. She touched his arm twice. I counted.

“I say we just leave. Just get out of here. You in the mood for some In-N-Out? It’s good drinking food.”

“Yes.” I turned decisively away from the window, done torturing myself with that. If he wanted to talk to his ex, he could wonder where the hell I’d gone. I didn’t particularly want a burger and I hadn’t had even a sip of alcohol, but that was not the point.

He’d texted me five times by the time we were ten minutes away. I just watched the screen flash, not even reading them at first.

“Let’s talk it out, girl,” Frankie drawled, shooting me a sideways eyebrow lift. “You look mad enough to spit.”

“I think he still has feelings for her,” just sort of fell out of my mouth. I felt childish and paranoid, but I couldn’t shake the awful way it made me feel to see them talking to each other. “You don’t get jealous enough to fight somebody because they hooked up with someone you broke up with years ago unless you still care about that person, right?”

Frankie shook her head, sighing loudly and dramatically. “I don’t know. Those guys do have a rule about that. They don’t hook up with each other’s girlfriends, ex or not.”

“Yet they’ve slept up with the same women before. Makes no sense.”

“I doesn’t make any sense to me either. That is definitely a guy thing. Somehow calling a chick your girlfriend changes everything.”

My phone dinged with another message, and I had the strong urge to chuck it out the window. “I need to stop going to these stupid parties with him all the time. They’re pure drama.” If I was honest with myself, I was terrified for him to go to one without me. Twatalie seemed to be lurking everywhere, just waiting for her chance.

“That’s not a bad idea. You have enough on your plate without dealing with Dean’s instigating ass.”

“I could have gotten some studying done tonight, or even just helped Jerry with the boys. Anything would have been better than going out and watching my man get chummy with his ex.”

“I know I’ve said it before, but if it helps I’ll say it again; I don’t think there’s a chance in hell he’d ever touch her with a ten foot pole.”

It did help.

We ate burgers and skipped the fries. We’d decided that the fries were the fattening part, and the burgers were just good solid protein.

We were heading back before I checked my texts. I rolled my eyes when I saw that there were thirteen of them. The last one told me all I needed to know about his mood.

Tristan: Where the f**k did you go?

I made a face at my phone for that one, and my reply was short.

Danika: Left with Frankie.

His answer was immediate.

Tristan: Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?

That was all the invitation I needed to vent.

Danika: I would have, but you were busy talking to Nat.